Health Notes
Should you reconsider your daily aspirin?
A daily aspirin has been standard advice for years to reduce the chances of heart attack and stroke. And now, of course, new science says it may be time to reconsider that advice…
Daily aspirin to prevent heart disease and stroke no longer recommended for people 60 and older, Peter Sblendorio in Seattle Times, Apr 2022
“People aged 60 and older are no longer recommended to take aspirin medication as a way of avoiding heart disease because of the potential health risks, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force announced Tuesday.
The new stance by the leading task force serves as an update to its 2016 guidance, which said people between 60 and 69 years old with at least a 10% risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease over the next 10 years should view taking low-dose aspirin daily as an “individual” decision.
“Based on new evidence since the 2016 Task Force recommendation, it is now recommended that once people turn 60 years old, they should not consider starting to take aspirin because the risk of bleeding cancels out the benefits of preventing heart disease,” reads Tuesday’s announcement by the USPSTF.
Meanwhile, people aged 40 to 59 with at least a 10% risk of 10-year cardiovascular disease should look at taking daily aspirin as an individual choice, the task force said Tuesday…”
Older adults shouldn’t start a routine of daily aspirin, task force says, Allison Aubrey on NPR, Apr 2022
New guidance from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says people over the age of 60 should not start taking daily, low-dose aspirin to prevent cardiovascular events like heart attacks or strokes.
Low-dose aspirin had been a popular prevention measure, but as more evidence has accumulated its benefit has come into question. On Tuesday the task force finalized new recommendations advising against the practice. The task force concludes that initiating daily aspirin in adults 60 years or older has “no net benefit,” and increases a person’s risk of internal bleeding.
For adults 40 to 59 years of age, a daily aspirin may have a “small net benefit,” according to the task force, which sifted through the most recent studies and weighed the benefits and the risks.
Warning over common drug that could cause internal bleeding, Ellie Cambridge in The Sun, Apr 2022
“Doctors have warned against people over 60 taking a daily dose of aspirin. It has been traditionally taken each day to slash the risk of a heart attack or stroke. But a panel of top medics in the US this week changed their advice for older people. They warned it could raise the risk of internal bleeding.
The US Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) also said 40-59 year olds should only take aspirin daily if they are at genetic risk of heart disease. Those over 75 should not take it because there is little benefit in older age. Dr Michael Barry, USPTF’s vice-chair and professor of Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, told ABC News: “Based on current evidence, the task force recommends against people 60 and older starting to take aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke.
“Because the chance of internal bleeding increases with age, the potential harms of aspirin use cancel out the benefits in this age group.” The new guidance is only for patients starting up a course of aspirin. Anyone on it already should continue, and not stop unless they have talked to their doctor…”
